Protector for saddles



Feb. 20, I940. -r-. MESINGER PROTECTOR FOR SADDLES Filed Nov. "27, 193s INVENTOR. Frederick Mes/v per.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Feb. 20, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT QFilfiE PROTECTOR FOR. SADDLES Frederick Mesinger, Mount Vernon, N. Y.

Application November 27, 1936, Saerial No. 113,055

2 Claims. (01. 155-523) This invention relates to protectors for bicycle saddles and has for its principal object to provide meansfor preventing injury to the sheet material covering on the laterally projecting por- 51 tions of bicycle saddles.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appearhereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises an article of manufacture possessing the features, proper- 10 ties, and the relation of elements which will be exemplified in the article hereinafter described and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and 15 objects of the invention reference should be had tothe following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a saddle seat having progu tector plates secured thereto according to the invention; I

Fig. 2 is an .elevational view of the saddle seat with protector plates;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged elevational view of one of I25 the protector plates shown in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is a View of a horizontal section taken on the line 4-4 in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a view of a vertical section taken on the line 5-5 in Fig. 3; 30 Fig. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of another form of protector plate;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary, partly sectional View of a portion of a saddle seat viewed from below having the protector plate shown in Fig. 6 secured 35 thereto;

. 45 ground or the wall as the case may be. Such contacts cause injury to the sheet material covering of the saddle seat. The top covering of a saddle is usually a relatively thin flexible grade of leather or of fabric and is subject to serious injury from 50 such abrasive contacts. The life of the saddle is thus materially shortened. When the saddle is of the type having a sheet metal base, the rigidity of the edge of the base over which the cover is stretched causes the cover to be out through relau tively rapidly. The abrasive wear is also particufor supporting the seat upon the bicycle.

larly undesirable on saddle seats having stitched on coverings for such wear readily cuts the stitches and allows the cover to separate.

According to the present invention the effects of such abrasive contacts are rendered harmless 5 by providing means to resist abrasion for covering the laterally projecting parts of the saddle which are exposed to the abrasive contacts. The mode of attachment of such protectors is varied accordingto the variety of saddle to be protected. 10 The protectors or contact plates are preferably constructed of sheet metal although other abrasion resistant material may be used. When made of sheet steel the contact plates are preferably rust prooied but the plates may also be made of non rusting metal suchas stainless steel.

Referring now to the drawing, and particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, the saddle seat It is of the variety comprisinga shaped base having a layer of hair felt padding on its upper face and a leather covering t l. which is secured to the seat by stitching it along the downwardly projecting marginal edges 13. A spring frame is commonly provided Such frame may be of any conventional form and is not shown in the interests of clearness of the drawing. The portions of the seat ill subject to abrasive injury are the laterally extending parts M which are protected from such injury by the protector plates l5. 0

One of the plates IE5 is more clearly shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5. It is formed from a single piece of sheet metal and has a dished portion l5 suitably shaped to cover the side projections of the seat. Two triangular points it are struck up at each endof plate it so as to project inward and grip the leather cover. In this form of the invention, the means for securing the plate to the seat is provided by'the portion l'l, integral with the lower part of plate l5, and which has an inward- 40 ly extending portion 58 from which an ear lll extends upwardly. The ear it has outwardly projecting points 2b which cut into the leather When the ear is is pressed toward the plate it. To assemble the protector 5 to the parts i l of the saddle, it is merely necessary to place the plate iii in the desired position while the ear it is open so that the downward extending edge l3 of the seat is between the ear l9 and the plate It and then squeeze the ear toward the plate. until the points fill out into the underside of the cover.

The form of protector plate shown at 2i in Figs. 6 and 7 has a dished portion 22 and is provided with two integral prongs 23 struck up at each end and projecting inwardly. The mode of securing the plate 2i to the seat shown is by passing the prongs 23 through slots cut through the downwardly projecting edge l3 of the seat covering. Fig. 7 being a fragmentary bottom view, the edge 24 of the under cover which is secured to the edge l3 of the top cover is shown. The prongs 23 are bent over against the under cover edge 24.

The forms of plates previously described may be adapted to be attached to substantially all saddles having a leather or fabric covering with downwardly projecting edges. Another variety of saddle seat structure is shown in Fig. 8 and comprises a metal base 25 having a downwardly projecting flange 26, a sponge rubber cushion 21 i on top of the base, a topcover 28 which is drawn downward and completely around the flange 26 and a metal bottom plate 29 which clamps the edge of the top cover 28 between it and the base 25 when the fastenings such as bolts 30 areapplied. The protector plate 3| has a dished portion 32 preferably oval shaped, a curved portion the protector plate maybe attached in various Ways. The protector plate may be shaped in various forms to have a pleasing appearance as well as for efficient protection.

Since certain changes may be made in the present saddle construction and different embodiments of the invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a bicycle saddle the combination comprising a seat having laterally projecting portions which touch the groundwhen the bicycle falls on its side, said seat including a metal base, a. flexible sheet outer covering and means for securing the edges of said covering to the edges of said base, and metal plates covering the laterally projecting portions, each having an integral ear struck inward from its lower edge, said ear being clamped between said securing means and the edge of said covering so as to secure said plates firmly over said projecting portions.

2. In a bicycle saddle the combination comprising a relatively stiff sheet metal base having a downwardly projecting peripheral rim, 2. cushion on the upper face of said base, a relatively soft flexible sheet covering over said cushion having peripheral portions extending over and around said rim, a plate under and secured to said base arranged to clamp the peripheral portions of said covering to the base so that said portions are stretched over said rim so as to be subject to injury by abrasive contacts on laterally exposed areas, and metal protectors covering said areas,

said protectors having each an ear portion clamped under said plate and a portion connecting the ear to the protector extending around the covered rim whereby said protectors are secured tightly in contact with said areas to be protected.

FREDERICK MESINGER. 

